☽ A Game of Ping Pong

[messianic]

Characters: Minato and you!
Location: In a building just off of the center plaza
Time: All dayyyy
Style: Whatever works!
Status: Open open open!

[It is the strangest thing, to remember dying and then wake up as if nothing had happened. It left him strangely restless, and so he'd skipped out on Welcoming Committee duties, he'd drifted a little away from his social life for just a brief period of time--

He'd died in that strange place, that place that wasn't Vatheon.

But...he'd woken up alive, headphones around his neck and not pressed into Tiir's hands. Was something that vivid really just a dream? So he wandered, in search of something to expend his restless energy on.

And he's found himself at a ping pong table. At first he considers that lack of an opponent a problem, bouncing the ball on the table idly. But then he decides to play with the wall (it doesn't seem to bother him that he can't ever win that way).

So there is the click! click! click! of a ping pong ball being hit back and forth coming from an otherwise quiet building into the plaza. He might be getting a little into it.

Further inspection reveals a whiffed shot--don't get hit by the ball!]

Comments

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[oh, he's been noticed!

He smiles a little.]</sub>

Hello, Minato.

_{[smiling a bit more]}

I'm fine... And you? How are you?

[messianic]

[Ah...he enjoys it when Ruca smiles.

It makes him hope that he has found more friends. But he simply nods in response.]

I'm fine, I think. Just...playing a bit.

[Working off the energy that has been pent-up since his "dream"--]

...Have you ever played?

[demonicbookworm]

_{[Ruca shakes his head.]}

Um, no...

_{[he smiles sheepishly.]}

I'm really bad at sports...

_{[and that explains everything.]}

[messianic]

[...oh! Well. He just retrieves the other paddle, offering it.]

I'm not that great at them either sometimes. Would you like to play with me?

[demonicbookworm]

You're definitely better than me.

<sub>[Definitely. He fails all the time.

...But maybe, just maybe he will try to play with you. Though he is still sure this is a bad idea.]</sub>

...But... I guess I can try...

[messianic]

[...Thumbs up!]

Let's give it a shot together. I'm sure it'll be more fun with you.

[demonicbookworm]

Alright...

_{[he still looks a little unsure about al of this.]}

But, um... I've never played anything like that, so...

_{[in other words he doesn't really know how to play.]}

[messianic]

[A nod.]

That's okay. We'll take it slow.

The goal is to hit the ball back before it bounces twice on your side. You want it to bounce on my side instead.

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[he nods. That sounds simple enough...

oh dear, is he even holding the paddle right? Will he be able to hit the ball with this? He is going to fail so much...]</sub>

[messianic]

[Don't worry, Ruca!

He's going to start slow and steady for you, hitting a light bounce over to Ruca's side.

HE'S ROOTING FOR YOU.]

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[OKAY, now focus, Ruca. This can't be too hard!

...Hopefully.

Ruca tries to hit the ball and... oh, look, he did it! But... the ball bounces a few times, then it stops on the net.

...He really is bad at this.]</sub>

[messianic]

[: |b

Minato just offers an honest thumbs up at that.]

Good hit, Ruca-san. A little higher and that would have been over.

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[...Was it really a good hit or are you just saying that to make him feel better?

Either way, it's not exactly working.

He'll just... take the ball and give it back to you. Let's try all over again.]</sub>

...I'll... try. _{[try is definitely the keyword.]}

[messianic]

[A nod, and he smiles a bit.]

That's the spirit.

[Another easy serve, bouncing it right to Ruca--he wants to see him smile, if he can.]

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[okay, he's going to get it right this time.

Now, focus and...! Yes! This time he really did it! The ball bounced once on his side, just like it was supposed to.

He smiles a little... but isn't it too early to be happy?]</sub>

[messianic]

[!!

He actually misses that one, letting it go by, though he moves to hit it and simply--

whiffs it.

Maybe he really was just that pleased.

But he shakes his head and goes and retrieves the ball and--]

Good hit, Ruca-san. That evens the score.

[And he offers the ball.]

Your serve.

[demonicbookworm]

It... was?

<sub>[Ruca isn't sure how or why that happened, but that tiny success definitely made him look at this game in a little bit more optimistic way.

He smiles taking the ball, then manages to hit it again, serving it to Minato. Maybe this game isn't as hard as he thought.]</sub>

[messianic]

Absolutely. You're picking it up fast.

[A firm nod and he returns the serve, slow and steady so Ruca can get used to hitting the ball as he is.

This is actually quite a bit of fun, and the smile pleases him.]

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[Ruca hits the ball again. The smile on his face just grows bigger.

It really isn't so hard! And it's kind of fun, too!]</sub>

[messianic]

[It really is fun. And he'd rather let balls go by, than to hit them back too hard if he's not sure of his control, so the score is rather tilting in Ruca's favor by now.

He's pretty content with that though, just hitting back the ones he can at an even pace.]

[demonicbookworm]

<sub>[Considering that Ruca had never been good in any kinds of sports, the fact that he was not losing miserably made him wonder how it's even possible.

Thinking about that, Ruca unintentionally hit the next ball with a lot more strength than it would be ever necessary. Let's add that Ruca, despite looking rather weak was actually a lot more stronger than an average human.]</sub>

I-I'm so sorry!

[messianic]

[WHOOPS DUCKING THAT ONE.

Thankfully he's got good reflexes, so he just ducks and blinks and peers over his shoulder as it bounces off of the wall.]

...You've got a lot of arm strength, Ruca-san. I'm impressed.

[demonicbookworm]

_{[awkward smile.]}

Um... no, not really... I just... um...

_{[this is all Asura's power.]}

[messianic]

[...A blink. And he nods a little.]

You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.

[And he'll go turn to find the ball, which is thankfully not that far away.]

[demonicbookworm]

Ah, n-no, it's just, um... it's a little hard to explain.

_{[it's not like he doesn't trust you...]}